5 Stories of Love
by LunarRin
Summary: A series of one-shots I plan to do throughout the year, my target is at least 5 by the end of the year.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Dion x Ruby

 **"Heartless"**

The scorching sun beat down, bathing everything below in its golden rays. Hiding in the shade of the trees that towered above them, a group of warriors rested after a long trek. Though tired of the intolerable heat that knew no mercy, they would soon have to continue their journey.

"This heat is really something…" muttered the leader of the group. The Oracle knight glanced at his comrades, in case the heat got the better of any of them.

"I have to agree… We must be in a heat wave or something." Sighed Medina who, with a relatively revealing outfit, shouldn't have been affected as much.

"Quit whining - with an outfit like yours you should consider yourself lucky," scoffed the necromancer. "Or does our _princess_ need a prince charming to come and make the heat go away?" He added with a smirk.

"Shut up Yuura, I don't have the energy left to be your source of entertainment," she retorted, irritated with Yuura's constant verbal abuse. "And it's clear to see the heat isn't just affecting me."

"Indeed. Although the two of you were made for each other, you're far from the ideal prince charming and Medina is too violent for the role of a princess." Rinon cut in, her patience wearing thin. Receiving a glare from Medina, Rinon could only sigh as Yuura's smirk grew larger.

"Anyways, you're right, A heartless person like Yuura couldn't be even close to a prince," Medina agreed after seeing Yuura's irritating smirk.

"Aww… I'm hurt, you know. I do have a heart. I shower my _affection_ on you every day." Yuura jested with a mocking tone.

"Affection? More like a subject of interest." snapped Medina.

"One that never ceases to amuse me." He laughed,

"Honestly, Dion is the heartless one," Ruby interjected. "If it's not about a difficult fight or something, he does even bat an eye!" She exclaimed while shooting a glare in Dion's direction.

"And your point is...?" Dion asked flatly.

" See?! There he goes again with that stupid tone! And my point is that if something happened to one of us, you wouldn't even care!" Ruby angrily accused.

"Who said I didn't care?"

"I did! And you _know_ that you wouldn't care!"

"Since when were you right?"

"So are you saying you do care? Fine then. Say it!"

"I care." With all his reply in monotone, it only seemed to anger Ruby even more.

"Now, now, let's not get into a fight. After all, we still have a long way to go to reach our destination." Ilia calmly interjected keeping the two from bickering any longer. The group was silent for the next few minutes, everyone's patience at its limit. "Hmm... What a sour atmosphere, this isn't good." Announced Ilia, trying to find a way to lighten the mood. As if a light bulb had been turned on she smiled, "Hey, how about we take a break, after all, we need someone to scout out the area ahead, right? It would be a great time for the rest of us to rest," she proposed.

"That's a great idea Ilia," agreed Ark. "Who thinks they can still go and scout out the area ahead?" He asked. Silence filled the air until a certain fox girl spoke up as if the former events never happened,

"I'll go! I've still got a lot more energy in me!" Ruby chirped, smiling at the chance to help Ark.

"Alright, thank you Ruby." He returned the smile.

"Dion, could you go with Ruby too? Just in case," asked Ilia, turning to the cyan-haired male who was leaning on a nearby tree, his distaste for the predicament he found himself in was shown with his perpetual frown. Maintaining the aloof nature he queried,

"Why me? I'm sure Medina could fit that part better than I could."

"Please?" urged Ilia, her kind and innocent plead reached him and with sigh, he reluctantly agreed,

"Fine," he glanced over to the fox girl who began to spout objections,

"What?! Why does Dion have to come, I can take of myself you know!" She protested pleading to Ark to do something about it. Ark could only reassure her that it would be safer and that this applied to anyone in the group. Resigning to her fate Ruby could only reluctantly approval of the plan. "Fine… If you say so."

The two would then set off down the path scouting for enemies Ruby glaring at Dion all the way. "Hmmph. I guess in a way this is good for me because now you definitely won't be fighting Ark behind my back. " She boasted, skipping ahead of the male warrior.

"A lost opportunity is lost, there's no point in crying about it." He dryly replied, looking around for any possible threats to the group.

"Why is it all about battling strong opponents huh!? The world is full of so many other things!" Ruby questioned turning around pointing at Dion, determined to get an answer for his apathetic look on everything.

"Those "other things" simply don't interest me, that's all there is to it." He absently stated, his eyes trailing of the path toward a large bush for an unknown reason.

"And why don't they interest you?" Ruby asked, waiting for his response she impatiently tapped her foot on the ground.

"..." Dion remained silent, still staring at the bush before his eyes narrowed. Noticing the change in his demeanor she brought out her dual blades.

"Hey, why are you stari-" she began but was cut off by the sharp gale sent toward the bush along with the sound of a bullet being shot. The perpetrator that was revealed hiding in the bush had fired his gun at Ruby, being part fox she was narrowly able to avoid the shot as it grazed her leg. This however left a large cut on her leg, wincing, she retaliating by sending shots of fire at them from her dual blades. Unfortunately, they weren't the alone ones as more shots rang, Ruby dodging them all thanks to her fox senses glanced at Dion who deflected every single shot sent toward him without much enthusiasm. _This was a battle, wasn't it? Why wasn't he satisfied?_ Ruby couldn't help but ponder.

"Stop staring off into space unless you want to get killed." His tone remained level headed but the tiniest tint of concern reached her, snapping out of her thought she shouted,

"Yeah I got it, and what are we going to do about them?"

"What do you think?"

"Take them down!"

"Did you have any other ideas?" Dion sarcastically replied he was without a doubt going to shoot Ruby down at any chance he could. Ignoring his insults Ruby dashes forward toward her attackers before gracefully taking them down. _At least it's not as degrading as Yuura's insults._ There was a large difference between Yuura's snarky comments and Dion's filterless words. Dion's comments are usually just him being blunt, and Yuura's comments are anything goes as long as it is aimed to mess with you. Taking a step back Ruby felt a sudden pain in her leg, most likely from the shot, falling onto one leg and unable to block an upcoming swing from one of the enemies. Closing her eyes she braced herself for the attack, only for the sound of metal clashing filled the air. Opening her eyes she is met with the unusual sight of Dion standing in front of her in a sword lock with one of the other attackers before he swiftly kicked them away to take care of the other ones. "Stay back and don't get in my way." He ordered, taking out another enemy he gave Ruby the opportunity to retreat.

"Don't let the girl getaway! That's why we're here!" Commanded one of the enemies, firing another round at Ruby.

"Predictable." Dion swiftly deflected the shot before closing the distance between him and the leader before promptly taking him out. Ruby helped to the best of her ability taking out enemies with shots of fire while Dion dealt with the ones going after Ruby. Before they knew it, they had taken out every single enemy in the area. Unsatisfied with the results, Dion sighed. "How tedious…" before turning to Ruby, "Now we have to get that leg healed… Why does trouble always follow you around?" He remarked.

"Probably because I'm a rare species…" Ruby mumbled, glancing at the wound on her leg that prevented her from walking without feeling some kind of dull pain. "Let's go back, Ark is probably worried, so we have to hurry." She got up and turned back limbing and ignoring the pain and without waiting for an answer. She would hear Dion's sigh and footsteps as he began to follow. _At least he didn't say anyth-_ she spoke too soon, but instead of hearing one of his remarks she was suddenly lifted off the ground as Dion slung her over his shoulder and began walking back without a word. Taken back by the sudden gesture she became a stuttering wreck " E-eh, W-what do you think you're d-doing?!"

"Making sure we don't waste any time getting back." He blatantly replied while carrying her.

"B-but I can w-walk on my own!" Ruby protested flailing her arms in comedic fashion.

"Can you now?" He countered, almost teasing her.

" S-shut up!" She fumed, turning away from the impassive male who said nothing more. Searching for something else to say to respond to Dion's remark she realized something the puzzled her more than anything else. _Why would he help me? He could have made remarks all the way back while watching me try to walk back, yet he decided to carry me._ Confused and wondering if he had any interior motives to his actions Ruby questioned: "Why are you carrying me back anyways, you could have left me and ran off to fight Ark or something." Taking a moment to think for a second Dion soon replied,

"That would be unfair." He answered.

"Since when did you care about it being fair or not huh?" Ruby accused suspecting that he had merely made an excuse, a white lie. She continued to pester him to much of his frustration, he couldn't come up with any more counters at this point. He gave in with a sigh,

"Didn't you want to make it back to Ark as fast as you can?" He muttered under his breath just loud enough for Ruby's fox ears to hear.

"...Eh?"

Ruby took a moment to process the information given to her before her face flushed red and mind went blank. "EHHHHH!? S-seriously?!" She shouted. Dion remained silent and continued walking back turning away from Ruby's gaze. "Hey! Hey, Dion! Answer me! W-why are you listening to me now out of all times?!" She continued while flailing about in Dion's arms.

"H-hey, Stop flailing like a child you're making it harder to carry you-" Dion tripped on a withering tree root, sending both of them tumbling to the ground. Opening her eyes she realized that not only had the quiet cyan head protected her head from the fall, but he was also on top of her.

"O-oi! J-just what are you doing Dion!?" She exclaimed.

"I told you not to flail didn't I?" Dion sighed with irritation, possibly to hide his embarrassment as he got off Ruby. Sitting down beside her both of them stared at the blue sky hanging above them.

"I guess even the stoic Dion is being affected by the heat." Ruby managed to snicker, too tired to get up just yet.

"Shut up…" Dion muttered still staring at the sky.

"You know, I kinda admire the sun," Ruby admitted while watching clouds pass by.

"And why is that?" Dion inquired, raising an eyebrow in subtle curiosity. Noticing the wound on her leg was bleeding more than before he took off his cape and gently wrapped it around the wound to stop the bleeding, Ruby, in turn, blushed again before continuing.

"No matter what happens below it, it continues to shine, even if clouds covered it up it is still shining. It has always stayed the same, always lighting your day up!" She smiled before sitting up and brushing the dirt off her clothes.

"This world would be boring without change though," Dion replied before getting up.

"Heh, I guess so! Especially for you!" She proclaimed, getting up and brushing the dirt off her clothes. "But let's get one thing straight! Even if a change is good, I'm not going to let you fight Ark again!" She warned while glaring daggers at Dion who only sighed.

"You'll always get in my way huh…"

"Yup! The both of us may slowly change, but we'll always argue with each other!" Ruby grinned.

"Is that suppose to be a good thing?" Questioned Dion as he continued to walk back with Ruby.

"Which part?"

"Nevermind."

"What?"

"I said nevermind."

"Nevermind what?"

"Why are you such an idiot…" Muttered Dion, Ruby quickly glared at him.

"I'm not an idiot! You're the idiot!"

"And why is that?"

"Because you don't smile!"

"What does that have to do with being an idiot?"

"Because no one can ever know if you're happy or sad! It's not good to bottle emotions up! Also, a smile can bring hope too!" Proclaimed Ruby as she stubbornly crossed her arms, Dion paused for a moment before he resumed walking back.

"...Fine, I'll keep that in mind." Mumbled Dion looking away from Ruby's proud grin.

"So you admit your an idiot?"

"No."

"Oh come on!" Ruby threw her hands up in defeat. She then remembered what she had accused Dion of before they went off scouting. She had accused him of not caring about the safety of the group, yet he had helped treat her wound and was now carrying her back. She began to feel guilty for accusing him beforehand. "Hey Dion," she started, Dion nodded, allowing her to continue. "I'm sorry for what I said earlier... I guess you do have a heart somewhere in that shell of a person you are." She quipped

"Is that so?" He questioned, ignoring the latter part of the sentence.

"Yes…" Pouted Ruby

"Alright," he replied, seemingly content with her answer.

"H-hmmph!"

"What is it now?" Dion sighed, wondering what in the world was wrong now.

"You're still an idiot."

"Look who's talking."

"Fine! We're both idiots!" Fumed Ruby, giving up as she was at his mercy at the moment.

"I can live with that." Admitted Dion. Though Ruby had no proof, she could have sworn she saw him subtly grin, as if silently mocking her.

"Stupid Dion!"

 **The End**

* * *

 **I'm still alive! I've just been lazy. I hope you enjoyed the first one shot in this little series I plan to do. I had to do Ruby and Dion because OTPs but anyways, the next one shot will be on Tazer and Tora. Expect it to come out in April or early May. And that's all I have to say, till next chapter, Bye, bye!**


	2. Chapter 2

**April showers will bring May flowers**

 _The rain pities you, the you who is alone without warmth._

 _So it allows you to hide your tears in its veil._

 _It will drown out those unwanted words,_

 _But it cannot wash away those painful memories._

 _And it only proves how alone you are._

The sky was dyed anchor grey, and the sound of heavy rain drowned out the whimpering of the timid disciple who sat in the rain, hiding from the outside world that tried to reject her. Hugging her knees and holding onto whatever warmth was still in her, she cried- cried for her mistakes, her choices, her cowardliness. She was alone and the rain was only proof of it she buried her head in her knees, seeking solace in the neverending rain. She was shivering, she could feel every drop of rain that fell on her, every single drop. She was used to the rain at this point, this wasn't the first time she was out here alone. About to surrender to her fate of always being alone the raindrops she expected to feel never came.

Reluctantly lifting her head up to see why the rain stopped, she saw the vengeful male disciple whom she knew as Tazer gently holding a small umbrella over her.

"You're going to get sick if you stay out here like that." Comforting her with a kindness she'd never received before.

"W-what about you?" She stuttered, noticing that the rain was now pouring down on him. Glancing up at the clouds and then back at Tora, Tazer carefully picked up Tora's hand and wrapped it around the umbrella handle.

"You need this more than I do. It's alright, I'm used to the rain," he assured, letting go of Tora's cold hands and looking away. The subtle sadness in his voice while he admitted to being used to the rain only hinted to Tora, that he was originally out here for a different reason.

"B-but…" Tora began, only to be cut short,

"...Aren't you cold?" Tazer interjected, attempting to change the topic. Not wanting to burden him any more than she already did, Tora attempted to hide her shivering but to no avail as Tazer was quick to notice. Before she could respond, he draped her in his warm cape. "You don't have to hide it," he calmly informed her.

"W-why are you helping me?" Tora questioned, truly confused. She had been treated harshly all her life, told that she didn't deserve warmth, yet here she was receiving kindness from someone she'd least expect it from. Slightly taken back from the question, Tazer quickly looked away and to the ground.

"You… You remind me of someone I lost a long time ago…" He murmured, his expression regretful and reminiscent.

"... Is that so?" she hesitantly asked.

"... I'm sorry… You don't need to concern yourself with me..." He quickly replied and turned away, beginning to walk away from the timid disciple. She reached out to try to grab his hand but soon stopped herself. ' _I can't, I shouldn't interfere, I'll just make things worse.'_ She thought to herself, watching him leave as the rain continued to pour down. She was warm under the umbrella and wrapped up in a rather fluffy cape, but she couldn't be at peace, a nagging guilt clinging to her like chains and all that could be heard was the miserable rain.

A good distance away, the male disciple stood alone in the rain, staring up at the overwhelming mass of dark gray clouds that towered above him. Clouds that refused to allow him to see sunlight, and if he were to walk forward, they would follow to drag him back into the rain. He bitterly chuckled while still staring at the darkened sky.

"... Why do you choose me…?" He asked as if expecting to receive an answer. He looked down at his hands, the ones that were unable to save anyone he cared for. "Being alone for an eternity… I suppose this is a fitting punishment…" He ruefully admitted, accepting the emptiness that filled his heart. Yet he would feel the rain slowly stop as the small disciple attempted to hold the umbrella over him by standing on her toes.

"Y-your going to get sick if you s-stay in the rain," she timidly informed him, and he glanced at her, taken aback by the sudden gesture,

"... Why?"

"E-eh? What do you mean, 'why'?" She stuttered slightly intimidated by their height difference.

"Why are you helping me?" Tazer glumly elaborated, holding her hand and shoulder to support her so she wouldn't fall.

"... U-um… w-well… you look lonely… s-so I thought, we can s-share the umbrella." She looked away, afraid of his response, fearful of rejection. She would feel someone gently pat her head, she looked up to see Tazer smile weakly.

"You know, this umbrella isn't big enough for the two of us," he teased, and she instantly went red with embarrassment, noticing that she and Tazer were still getting wet.

"T-then, i-if we can't be under the umbrella…" She hesitated. "Then we'll be cold together…" She stared at the ground, unsure of what to expect. Yet she found herself being scooped up into his arms. "E-eh?!" Taken back she nearly dropped the umbrella.

"Alright, then lets at least sit under a tree to keep some rain out," he suggested with a warm smile. Words didn't want to leave Tora's mouth, so she merely nodded instead. The two then reached a large tree, and after gently setting Tora down, Tazer sat beside her holding the umbrella over them for added protection against the rain. Tora stared at the scenery around her - from underneath the tree the rain seemed to have become a gentle drizzle. Unintentionally letting her head rest on Tazer's shoulder, she snuggled up against him.

"... You're cold…" She mumbled, unwrapping his cape from around her and pulling it over the two of them like a blanket.

"... Am I really?" He responded, glancing at her frail but warm figure, they were opposites, he was bold but cold, while she was timid yet warm. Each other's company was comforting to the other. Tora nodded still clinging to him, resting her head against his shoulder.

"Um… If you don't want me to do this I won't…" She stuttered nervously glancing up at him.

"It's fine," he assured her, gently ruffling her hair before glancing back at the rain.

"... Do you like the rain?" She questioned skittishly, staring at the bulbs of flowers that have yet to bloom.

"... I'd rather not be in it," he replied. "But I suppose it's not as bad when you're with me."

"O-oh…"

"But without it, those beautiful flowers won't be able to bloom would they?" He added with a smile.

"Yeah..." Tora smiled warmly, staring at the bulbs that were green and ready to bloom.

"And without it, I would not see such a pretty smile." He smiled, and Tora flushed red from the compliment, hiding her face in his cape.

"T-thank you…" She mumbled, though not used to the kindness she happily accepted it. Snuggled up against his shoulder she felt sleepy and before she knew it, slowly dozed off into a peaceful slumber. Noticing that she fell asleep he gently wrapped his arm around her and stared up at the sky which had become a lighter gray.

"I suppose… I still have something to hold onto…" He admitted before slowly falling asleep beside Tora. The two quietly nestled together under an umbrella, the rain soon came to a close as the warm sun took its place as buds of flowers bloomed.

 _Because April showers will bring May flowers…_

 **The End**

* * *

 **I did say late April early May right? Well, I did it! XD Chapter two is out! I hope I did parts weren't too forced... Anyways, the next chapter will probably, unfortunately, come out during really really really late June or sometime in July, because of school work and all. Also, I have no idea what couple to do. I'm thinking Krantz and Libera or Yuura and Medina. So I'll give you all the chance to vote in the reviews which one I should do. Thank you for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Fireworks**

It was warm and the sun was setting, leaving the sky a mosaic of yellow, orange, pink, and purple hues. Back at her home, Libera was getting ready for the festival, combing her hair and putting on her yukata. She glanced at her reflection in the mirror to make sure she was presentable, especially since today would be an incredibly special day. She was going to spend the evening with Krantz at the festival. She had always liked him, from the first time they met till now, he had always brought a smile to her face. So being able to spend her time with him meant a lot to her, and tonight, she'd finally tell him.

After finishing getting ready, Libera left the house and made her way to the specific spot where they had agreed to meet. As she approached the location she noticed that Krantz was already waiting for her. Glancing in her direction he spotted her and greeted her with a wave.

"Hey," he called.

"Hello Krantz," Libera smiled, standing beside him. Krantz scanned Libera's outfit before smiling.

"That yukata looks great on you," he complimented.

"T-thank you." Libera thanked a small blush forming on her cheeks.

"Well, let's go, you don't want to miss the festival, do you?" He teased, taking her hand and gently pulling her along as they made their way toward the festival. Libera attempted to hide her blush, although Krantz did not seem to notice. It was always like that, Krantz would say something, unaware of Libera's embarrassment. They would soon reach the festival which was bustling with people moving from booth to booth. The streets were decorated with glowing lanterns and the booths were bathed in a warm radiance. Libera sighed in relief,

"Ah… After all the reports I had to finish, this is a nice change of pace," Libera murmured. Krantz glanced at her.

"Did you really have that much paperwork?" he asked.

"Yeah, you breaking one of the computers certainly did not help," she remarked in amusement.

"S-sorry," Krantz sheepishly replied as he scratched the back of his head. Although he was talented, he had one fatal flaw: his inability to work with technology. It had recently gotten to the point where somehow, the technology he attempted to use exploded on contact, as if it was a curse. "A-anyways, enough about work. We're here to enjoy ourselves, right?" Krantz stammered, attempting to change the topic. Libera let out a giggle,

"You're right, what should we do first?" She asked, turning to him with a smile.

"Hm…" Krantz glanced around, scanning the area for an activity for them to do. After spotting a booth he grinned. "Found one!" he exclaimed, gently grabbing Libera's hand and pulling her towards the stand. The moment they reached the stand Libera smiled, the stand was set up for its visitors to scoop goldfish using a small net. It was a childish game, yet she had never played it before as she spent most of her time as a child studying or training. Coming from a wealthy family, she had many responsibilities, but that didn't bother her. What bothered her was the image of a pretty toy soldier she had to keep up while serving in the Imperial Guard. After joining the Summoner's Hall, her family had disowned her. She had never thought much about it, but nowadays she was starting to want a family and perhaps it would be best to attempt to reconcile with her parents. Libera was pulled out of her thoughts when Krantz lightly shook her.

"Libera? Hello? You okay?" He asked, a worried look plastered over his face.

"O-oh! S-sorry, I… I was lost in thought," Libera admitted in embarrassment.

"I noticed. Were you, perhaps, thinking about your parents?" Krantz questioned. He had read her mind, but she made no attempt to hide it, confirming his suspicions with a timid nod. "Ah… well, now isn't the time to mope about the past, is it?" He reassured, placing a hand on her shoulder with a soft smile.

"You're right, I apologize. I'm ruining the mood aren't I?" Libera sighed.

"It's fine, you're usually the one cheering me up anyways. At least I can return the favor with this," Krantz sympathized. "Anyways, let's catch some goldfish!" He grinned, holding out one of the small fishnets to her. Libera took the fish net with a smile and the two would attempt to fish out a few goldfish. Afterwards, the two would visit a few different stands before stopping by a booth that was selling candy apples. Libera glanced at the sweet in her hands, it's shiny red gloss reminded her of the shade of Krantz's hair. She turned to Krantz who was happily eating his candy apple,

"What should we do now?" Libera asked, taking a bite out of her candy apple. Krantz gulped to finish the food in his mouth,

"I hear there's going to be fireworks soon, do you want to watch?" He suggested.

"That sounds like a plan," Libera said with a smile.

"Alright, follow me, I know the perfect place!" Krantz exclaimed with a grin, gently taking Libera's hand and pulling her along through the crowd. Soon he would lead her to a small hill away from the crowd. The sky was filled with an array of stars and the area was quiet and peaceful. "We can watch the fireworks from here," he informed, letting go of her hand. Yet as he did so, Libera grabbed his hand, her gaze fixed on the ground in shame. "Libera?"

"I… have something to tell you," she proclaimed, lifting her head to look at Krantz.

"What is it?" He questioned, patiently waiting to allow Libera to collect her thoughts. Libera took a deep breath.

"Krantz, I… I've loved you for the longest time," she breathed. Krantz stood there, bewildered. Libera anxiously awaited his answer, after a moment of silence between the two, Krantz gripped her hand,

"Libera, I-" he was interrupted by the sound of fireworks going off as the sky was lit up with a multitude of lights. Krantz turned to the sound, as Libera felt a knot in the pit of her stomach as a wave of disappointment went over her. She felt vulnerable, and at that moment she attempted to brush off her confession.

"I-it's fine if you don't feel the same, I just-" Krantz gently placed a finger over her mouth,

"You wanted to know what I think, right?" He broke in, moving his hand to carefully move Libera's hair back behind her ear and hold her head. Libera flinched upon contact but would soon look up at him, placing her hand over his. Krantz slowly leaned in toward Libera, before gently kissing her under the fireworks.

* * *

 **I'm still alive! I'm sorry that this might be late, I've been busier than expected. I dunno what pairing to do for the next one but it could come out in either late August or sometime in September. Halfway there to the goal though! Until next time, see ya!**


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